Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-06-24
FROM WASHINGTON.
special Correspondence of the Alexa. GAzETTEl
WASHINGTON, D. c., June "a, 1887

FROM WAShlNOEONs
[speeial Correspondence of the Aleza. GAzErTE]
WASHINGTON. D. O.. June "a, 1887.
There is ripple of Excitement here and a
disrosition to talk over the "bloody chasm"
inst now yawning between Confederate
Generals Early and Rosser. The latter is
quite frequently iii this city, and only left
it q few days ago, going in the direction OF
Virginia. and reaching there about the
time OF the publication of Gen. Early's let
ter. Some of Rosser's friends are saying he
expected the assault and has gone to Vir-
cinia to arrange for satisfaction. The ques.
tion of duel is not very burning one In
the public mind here. yet the suggestion Is
often heard that if Rosser and Early don't
ioht the ''code duellon may be considered
as abolished in the South. Early is regard
ed as somewhat the aggressor in this. that
on seeing the letter of Rosser arralgnlng
Sheridan for the character Of his Valley
campaign, Early went immediatey into
print charging responsibility for the de-
struction there on Grant; and with charac-
teristic accuracy, for Early rarely plumbers
in a statement of fact, he proved, ny
Grants own memoirs, that even under gen.
era! orders Sheridan had pretty much all
the authority he needed for the kind OF war
waped in that region. Then came the cypher
DISPATCHES of Grant, showing that special in
structions had been given to Sher-
idan for his operations there, and re-
lieyipg him still more from the response
bility charged by Rosser. A storm of com
plant, too, against Rosser had meanwhile
come from Union soldiers and friends OF
Sheridan in the North, while not few Ok
Confederates were declaring, in effect, that
whoever was now found raking through the
embers of our civil strife and stirring up the
passions of the country over matters oil war
a quarter of century old, was no good clll-
zen and but little better than demagogue.
While wincing more or less under all this
Rosser, for the first time by printed inter.
views, showed his sympathy and tendencies
to be for the republican party in the battle
of the next Presidency, and directly after
this he executed his flank movement
against Early, by which he becomes the
| champion of Chambersburg, the defender oil
| the burned out women and children there,
and will doubtless be thanked for his de-
nunciation of Early by all the Grand Army
posts of the country. He has pretty well
| reinstated himself in the friendship OF the
northern soldiers and the republican poll
ticians, but his movement has called down
on him terrific castigation, leaving him in
about the situation of Gen. Malone q few
years ago, when Early, in public speech
at Richmond, charged him with falseh GOD
in language very strong and singing.
Gen. Malone is said to have received
intelligence of the insult to him quite coolly
and to have called council of his friends IN
this city. headed by John Wise, to determine
his line of conduct, They unanimously
decided that he should not challenge or
otherwise notice Early's assault except by
a brief publication in the Richmond Whig
saving, in substance, that he (Mahone) had
received notice of the attack on him. and
for reasons satisfactory &c to himself and
friends would notice nothing that Early
might say. In this conclusion, Malone
showed wisdom, for independently of the
danger attending duel the northern repub-
| lican sentiment then gathering strongly
around him would have seriously revolted
at the exhibition OF q Senator Of the United
States lodging through the country with
pistol in hand searching for duel.
In fact, several Northern republican Sena-
| tors. apprehensive that Malone would no.
tice in the way referred to the denunciation
of Early, advised him in strong language
| against such course. But it ls not likely
that any such interference will come in to
restrain General Rosser. Early was one Of
the friends who accompanied Bradley John
son when that gentleman challenged Ma
hone. He is everywhere recognized as q
man who, on proper occasion, would either
send or accept II challenge to fight in any
way desired.
A part of the force of employees at the
Washington navy yard is now actively
engaged in constructing the heavy machine
tools that are necessary for finishing the
larger sizes of rilled ordnance.
General Sheridan has returned TO this
city from New Haven, Conn.